Greeneville is known as the town whereUnited States PresidentAndrew Johnson began his political career when elected to be an alderman and transitioned from his trade as a tailor. He and his family lived there for most of his adult years. It was an area of strong abolitionist and Unionist views and yeoman farmers, an environment that influenced Johnson's outlook.[16]
Greeneville lies in thefoothills of theAppalachian Mountains. These hills are part of theAppalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province, which is characterized by fertile river valleys flanked by narrow, elongate ridges. Greeneville is located roughly halfway betweenBays Mountain to the northwest and theBald Mountains— part of the main Appalachian crest— to the southeast. The valley in which Greeneville is situated is part of thewatershed of theNolichucky River, which passes a few miles south of the town.
Native Americans were hunting and camping in the Nolichucky Valley as early as thePaleo-Indian period (c. 10,000 B.C.). A substantialWoodland period (1000 B.C. - 1000 A.D.) village existed at the Nolichucky's confluence with Big Limestone Creek (now part ofDavy Crockett Birthplace State Park).[21] By the time the first Euro-American settlers arrived in the area in the late 18th century, theCherokee claimed the valley as part of their hunting grounds. TheGreat Indian Warpath passed just northwest of modern Greeneville, and the townsite is believed to have once been the juncture of two lesser Native American trails.[22]
The permanent European settlement of Greene County began in 1772. Jacob Brown, a North Carolina merchant, leased a large stretch of land from the Cherokee, located between the upper Lick Creek watershed and the Nolichucky River, in what is now the northeastern corner of the county. The "Nolichucky Settlement" initially aligned itself with theWatauga Association as part of Washington County, North Carolina. After voting irregularities in a local election, however, an early Nolichucky settler named Daniel Kennedy (1750–1802) led a movement to form a separate county, which was granted in 1783.
The county was named after Nathanael Greene, reflecting the loyalties of the numerousRevolutionary War veterans who settled in the Nolichucky Valley, especially fromPennsylvania andVirginia. The first county court sessions were held at the home of Robert Kerr, who lived at "Big Spring" (near the center of modern Greeneville). Kerr donated 50 acres (0.20 km2) for the establishment of the county seat, most of which was located in the area currently bounded by Irish, College, Church, and Summer streets. "Greeneville" was officially recognized as a town in 1786.[23]
Replica of the Capitol of the State of Franklin in Greeneville
In 1784, North Carolina attempted to resolve its debts by giving the U.S. Congress its lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, including Greene County, abandoning responsibility for the area to thefederal government. In response, delegates from Greene and neighboring counties convened at Jonesborough and resolved to break away from North Carolina and establish an independent state. The delegates agreed to meet again later that year to form a constitution, which was rejected when presented to the general delegation in December.[24] Reverend Samuel Houston (not to be confused with the latergovernor of Tennessee and Texas) had presented a draft constitution that restricted the election of lawyers and other professionals. Houston's draft met staunch opposition, especially from ReverendHezekiah Balch (1741–1810) (who was later instrumental in the creation of Tusculum College).John Sevier was elected governor, and other executive offices were filled.
A petition for statehood for what would have become known as the State of Franklin (named in honor ofBenjamin Franklin) was drawn at the delegates session in May 1785. The delegates submitted a petition for statehood toCongress, which failed to gain the requisite votes needed for admission to the Union. The first state legislature of Franklin met in December 1785 in a crude log courthouse in Greeneville, which had been named the capital city the previous August.[25] During this session, the delegates finally approved a constitution that was based on, and quite similar to, the North Carolina state constitution. However, the Franklin movement began to collapse soon thereafter, with North Carolina reasserting its control of the area the following spring.
In 1897, at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition inNashville, a log house that had been moved from Greeneville was displayed as the capitol where the State of Franklin's delegates met in the 1780s. There is, however, nothing to verify that this building was the actual capitol. In the 1960s, the capitol was reconstructed, based largely on the dimensions given in historianJ. G. M. Ramsey'sAnnals of Tennessee.[26]
First Presbyterian Church, founded by Rev. Hezekiah Balch and Samuel Doak in 1780
Greene County, like much of East Tennessee, was home to a strong abolitionist movement in the early 19th century. This movement was likely influenced by the relatively large numbers ofQuakers who migrated to the region from Pennsylvania in the 1790s. The Quakers considered slavery to be in violation of Biblical Scripture and were active in the region's abolitionist movement throughout the antebellum period.[27] One such Quaker wasElihu Embree (1782–1820), who published the nation's first abolitionist newspaper,The Emancipator, at nearbyJonesborough.
When Embree's untimely death in 1820 effectively ended publication ofThe Emancipator, several of Embree's supporters turned toOhio abolitionistBenjamin Lundy, who had started publication of his own antislavery newspaper,The Genius of Universal Emancipation, in 1821. Anticipating that a southern-based abolitionist movement would be more effective, Lundy purchased Embree's printing press and moved to Greeneville in 1822. Lundy remained in Greeneville for two years before moving toBaltimore. He would later prove influential in the career ofWilliam Lloyd Garrison, whom he hired as an associate editor in 1829.[28][29]
Greenevillians involved in the abolitionist movement included Hezekiah Balch, who freed his slaves at the Greene County Courthouse in 1807.Samuel Doak, the founder ofTusculum College, followed in 1818. Valentine Sevier (1780–1854), a nephew ofJohn Sevier who served as Greene County Court Clerk, freed his slaves in the 1830s and offered to pay for their passage toLiberia, which had been formed as a colony for freed slaves. Francis McCorkle, the pastor ofGreeneville's Presbyterian Church, was a leading member of the Manumission Society of Tennessee.[30]
Artist's depiction of a Union soldier firing the shots that killed GeneralJohn Hunt Morgan in Greeneville in 1864
In June 1861, on the eve of theCivil War, thirty counties of the pro-UnionEast Tennessee Convention met in Greeneville to discuss strategy after state voters had elected to join theConfederate States of America. The convention sought to create a separate state in East Tennessee that would remain with the United States. The state government inNashville rejected the convention's request, however, and East Tennessee was occupied by Confederate forces shortly thereafter.[31]Thomas Dickens Arnold, a Greeneville resident and former congressman who attended the convention, advocated the use of violent force to allow East Tennessee to break away from Tennessee, and taunted other members of the convention who advocated a more peaceful set of resolutions.[32]
Several conspirators involved in the pro-UnionEast Tennessee bridge burnings lived near what is nowMosheim, and managed to destroy the railroad bridge over Lick Creek in western Greene County on the night of November 8, 1861. Two of the conspirators, Jacob Hensie and Henry Fry, were executed in Greeneville on November 30, 1861.[33]
A portion ofJames Longstreet's army wintered in Greeneville following the failed Siege of Knoxville in late 1863.[34] Confederate generalJohn Hunt Morgan was killed in Greeneville during a raid by Union soldiers led byAlvan Cullem Gillem on September 4, 1864.[35]
Andrew Johnson, the17thPresident of the United States, spent much of his active life in Greeneville. In 1826, Johnson arrived in Greeneville after fleeing an apprenticeship inRaleigh. Johnson chose to remain in Greeneville after learning that the town's tailor was planning to retire. Johnson purchased the tailor shop, which he moved from Main Street to its present location at the corner of Depot and College streets. Johnson married a local girl,Eliza McCardle, in 1827. The two were married byMordecai Lincoln (1778–1851), who was Greene County's Justice of the Peace. He was a cousin ofAbraham Lincoln, under whom Johnson would serve as vice president.[36][37]
In the late 1820s, a local artisan named Blackstone McDannel often stopped by Johnson's tailor shop to debate issues of the day, especially theIndian Removal, which Johnson opposed. Johnson and McDannel decided to debate the issue publicly. The interest sparked by this debate led Johnson, McDannel, and several others to form a local debate society. The experience and influence Johnson gained in debating local issues helped him get elected to the Greeneville City Council in 1829. He was elected mayor of Greeneville in 1834, although he resigned after just a few months in office to pursue a position in the Tennessee state legislature, which he attained the following year. As Johnson rose through the ranks of political office in state and national government, he used his influence to help Greeneville constituents obtain government positions, among them his long-time supporter,Sam Milligan, who was appointed to the Court of Claims in Washington, D.C.[38]
Whilst Andrew Johnson was away from home, during his vice-presidency, both Union and Confederate armies often used his home as a place to stay and rest during their travel. Soldiers left graffiti on the walls of Johnson's home. Confederate soldiers left notes on the walls expressing their displeasure, to put it delicately, of Johnson. Evidence of this can still be seen at the Andrew Johnson home. Andrew Johnson had to almost completely renovate his home after he returned home from Washington, D.C.
TheAndrew Johnson National Historic Site, located in Greeneville, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1963. Contributing properties include Johnson's tailor shop at the corner of Depot and College streets. The site also maintains Johnson's house on Main Street and theAndrew Johnson National Cemetery (atop Monument Hill to the south). A replica of Johnson's birth home and a life-size statue of Johnson have been placed across the street from the visitor center and tailor shop.[39]
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in the Indian Wars. The term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866.[40] Greeneville was home to at least four men who bravely served the country as "Buffalo Soldiers".
In 1887, with assistance from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the George Clem School was organized as Greeneville College. In 1932, the Greeneville Board of Education leased the property to provide public education for Negroes. Three years later, George Clem was appointed principal. Consisting of grades one through ten, the school was renamed Greeneville College High School. In 1937, the 11th grade was added. A year later, the school became an accredited four-year school. In 1939, the city purchased the school and renamed it the George Clem School. A decade later, the original building was demolished and the present building was erected in 1950. The school closed in 1965 when the public schools desegregated, and it became the location of the Greeneville City Schools Central Office. The George Clem School is often overlooked when talking about Greeneville history. Topics such as Sam Doak, the death of General Morgan, and Andrew Johnson are often the focal points when learning about Greeneville. The George Clem School is something the town should promote and be proud of. This history shows the accomplishments of the black community in Greeneville through the years. There is now a non profit organization in Greeneville by the name of George Clem Multicultural Alliance that helps honor the history of the school. The George Clem Multicultural Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3), public benefit, & exclusively charitable organization dedicated to supporting civic pride & cultural diversity awareness through various means within Wesley Heights community, and Greeneville/Greene County at large[41]
From 1947 to 2005,Magnavox—an electronics manufacturer best known for itstelevision sets—operated its main three facilities in Greeneville.[42][43] Magnavox was at one time the largest employer of Greeneville, employing more than 5,000 workers.[44] Eight years after the first plant opened, Magnavox workers voted to form a union through theIBEW.[43] In 1974, the facilities and the Magnavox company were acquired by the electronics giantPhilips. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the Greeneville facility saw a fluctuation and drops in employment.[43] In 1997, Phillips sold its facilities toKnoxville-based company Five Rivers Electronic Innovations. In 2005, Five Rivers closed the former Magnavox plant after declaring bankruptcy.[43] Before its shuttering, the Five Rivers facility was the site of the last television manufactured in the United States, which is now on display in the Greeneville-Greene County History Museum.[42]
On April 27, 2011, the rural community ofCamp Creek south of Greeneville was severely affected by anEF3 tornado in the2011 Super Outbreak.[45] Six people were killed and 220 were injured by the tornado that either damaged or destroyed over 175 homes.[46][47][48] Two hours later,Horse Creek, southeast of Greeneville, was also hit by an EF3 tornado, with the path travelling alongside and later crossing the earlier Camp Creek event as it moved into Washington County. Another 60-65 homes were either damaged or destroyed, and around 25 farms sustained heavy structural damage.[46][49] Two more people were killed by that tornado, with an estimated 70 more being injured.[46][50] A total of seven were killed in Greene County, with an eighth fatality in Washington County.[51]
Downtown Greeneville and the General Morgan Inn on Main Street in 2020
In 2018, town officials, with the cooperation of a development andurban design firm, began efforts towards theredevelopment of thecentral business district of Greeneville.[52] The project is projected to operate in several phases, projects proposed include: a farmer's market pavilion, agreenway along Richland Creek, analley park, improved access for pedestrians and cyclists, parking garages, and the conversion of Depot Street into astreet fair area.[52][53] In October 2021, construction work began on acomplete street-approach to Depot Street between Main Street and Irish Street in downtown Greeneville with enhanced pedestrian access.[54] The project was completed in November 2023.[55]
There were 6,506 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% weremarried couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.86.
The age distribution was 21.2% under 18 and 21% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42.6 years. The median income for a household in the city was $51,692. Theper capita income for the city was $24,376. About 13.9% of the population was below thepoverty line.[61]
Manufacturing remained as the top employing industry in Greeneville until the 1990s, afterMagnavox, once the town's largest employer, shuttered its facilities in the town.[62]
There has been a fair in some form in Greene County since 1870 when the Farmers and Mechanics Association held its first exposition. The present Greene County Fair Association was incorporated in 1949. The Greene County Fair is recognized statewide as one of the best fairs of its size. In 2021, the Fair received the First Runner-Up Award in the AAA Division. In 2015, the Fair was recognized as the AAA Division Champion Fair in the state of Tennessee by the Tennessee Association of Fairs. In 2005, we were honored to receive the Tennessee Association of Fairs highest award, the “Champion of Champions” fair trophy, and in 2006, the Fair received the “Champion of Champions Premier Fair” award.
The town is home to the Street Dance on Davis celebration, which is held annually on the weekend before Aug. 8, in remembrance of Aug. 8, 1863, the date when Andrew Johnson freed his personal slaves at his home in Greeneville. This street dance is a celebration that includes live music, dancing in the streets, kids zones, and most importantly open dialogue that supports black history. In recent years, The George Clem Multicultural Alliance has been the host of this celebration. Although the celebration started as primarily involving the local African-American community, the event has expanded to celebrate the African-American community of East Tennessee.[63]
The fair was also an inspiration forThe Band Perry's song "Walk Me Down The Middle", which was featured on their eponymous debut album.[64]
Professional baseball was first played in Greeneville by theGreeneville Burley Cubs in the Appalachian League in 1921.[66] They remained in the league through 1925 and returned for a second stretch from 1938 to 1942.[66] The Burley Cubs won the league championship in 1925 and 1938.[67] They were followed in the same league by theGreeneville Astros, who played in the city from 2004 to 2017.[66] They won the Appalachian League championship in 2004 and 2015.[67] TheHouston Astros, parent club of Greeneville, withdrew their affiliate from the Appalachian League after the 2017 season.[68] The circuit's vacancy was filled by theCincinnati Reds, who placed aRookie-level affiliate in Greeneville known as theGreeneville Reds.[66] In conjunction with a contraction ofMinor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Reds were replaced by the Flyboys, a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshmen and sophomores.[69]
Greeneville is administered through a mayor/city council/city manager form of government. It previously had a mayor/board of aldermen/administrator form of government until April 18, 2023, when the then board of mayor and aldermen voted to change the town's charter.[70]
The town has a mayor and four city council members, along with the city manager who is the chief administrative officer and is in charge of supervising all town employees and is required to develop an annual budget and present it to the mayor and council members.The following is a list of current officials as of April 2023:
Greene Technology Center - Grades 9-12 (Also contains adult education classes and is associated with theTennessee College of Applied Technology at Morristown)
The Greeneville and Greene County area are served byThe Greeneville Sun, a daily newspaper published Monday through Saturday.[80]The Greeneville Sun also publishes a free newspaper,The Greeneville Neighbor News, which spotlights arts and entertainment.
Greeneville has one hospital, which is part of Ballad Health.[81]
Greeneville Community Hospital East, formerly Laughlin Memorial Hospital[82][83]
Greeneville also has many nursing facilities, including: Life Care Center of Greeneville, Laughlin Healthcare Center, Signature Healthcare of Greeneville, Morning Pointe, Wellington Place owned byBrookdale Senior Living,Maxim Healthcare Services and Comcare.
Samuel Doak (1749–1830), Presbyterian minister, pioneer; founded earliest schools and churches in East Tennessee. President of Washington College 1795–1818, he moved to Greeneville and taught at Tusculum Academy, later Tusculum College, from 1818 to 1830. Delegate to the "Lost State" of Franklin which convened in Greeneville.[85]
Andrew Johnson, Alderman and Mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee, U.S. Senator, U.S. Vice President, U.S. President.[87]
Sergeant Elbert Kinser (October 21, 1922 - May 4, 1945), a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions and sacrifice of his life on the island of Okinawa during World War II. US Marine Base Camp Kinser, located on Okinawa, is named for Sgt. Kinser.
Rance Pless Baseball Pro. Won 2 minor league batting crowns, 1952 & 1955; AAA MVP 1955; member of the 1956 Kansas City A's. After retirement from pro ball, employed by Magnavox.
Samuel R. Rodgers (1798–1866), Southern Unionist and post-Civil War Speaker of the Tennessee Senate.
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, entrepreneur and founder of National Allied Publications, which would later evolve intoDC Comics. Wheeler-Nicholson was a Greeneville native and lived there for several years before his family moved away in his early childhood. He is widely credited as being the creator of the modern comic book.
^"Station: Greeneville EXP STN, TN".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. RetrievedMay 28, 2021.
^Samuel Smith,Historical Background and Archaeological Testing of the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Historic Area, Greene County, Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Division of Archaeology, 1980), 3.
^Richard Doughty,Greeneville: One Hundred Year Portrait (1775-1875) (Kingsport Press, 1974), 3.
^Eric Lacy,Vanquished Volunteers: East Tennessee Sectionalism from Statehood to Secession (Johnson City, Tenn.: East Tennessee State University Press, 1965), pp. 217-233.
^"William E. Bishop Jr., 70, former state assemblyman",Daily Record, January 18, 2003. Accessed January 14, 2022. "William E. Bishop Jr. died suddenly Wednesday morning, Jan. 15, 2003, in Morristown Memorial Hospital. He was 70. Born Sept. 26, 1932, in Greenville, Tenn., he was formerly of Knoxville, Tenn., and was a resident of Rockaway Township since 1965, moving there from West New York."
^E. Alvin Gerhardt, Jr., "Samuel Doak."The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, 2009. Retrieved: 11 February 2013.
^Patterson, Prof. Tommie Cochran (1931).Joseph Hardin: A Biographical & Genealogical Study. Dissertation Manuscript. Library of the University of Texas at Austin, Texas; Austin, TX.OCLC13179015.
^Trefousse, Hans L.Andrew Johnson: A Biography. New York: W.W. Norton. 1989.
^For total population, see field "Sex and Age>Total Population"; for households, see field "Households by type>Total households"; for housing unites, see field "Housing occupancy>Total housing units"; for families, see field "Households by type>Total households>Family households".
^All information from the Race section of the table.
^See section "Hispanic or Latino>Total population>Hispanic or Latino (of any race)".